Police: Man burns dog, dog burns house, house burns man

McALLEN — A domestic disturbance here ended with a man setting a dog on fire inside his girlfriend's home, severely burning him, her, the house and, of course, the unfortunate Pomeranian, which survived the attack.

Police believe the 35-year-old Hispanic man doused the small puppy with fuel and ignited the dog about 8:20 p.m. Tuesday inside girlfriend Veronica Sanchez's house on the 900 block of North 17th Street.

The terrorized pet then ran around the apartment and ignited some fuel the man had spilled on the floor. That fire burned the man, his girlfriend and part of the house's interior, said police Chief Victor Rodriguez.

The man was gone by the time police and firefighters arrived on the scene. But authorities caught up with him at McAllen Medical Center, where he was being treated for severe burns over much of his body. He and Sanchez, 47, were sent to a burn unit at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, where they continue to recover.

The Pomeranian that survived Tuesday night's attack has been taken in by Sanchez's relatives, Rodriguez said.

"It came away with little or no injury, so that's good for the pup," the chief said.

Wednesday morning, officers asked neighbor Feliciano Rosales, 79, to watch after the 11 other dogs at the home until authorities were able to take the pets to Palm Valley Animal Center in Edinburg later that afternoon. The dogs will remain there as Sanchez recovers in the hospital.

The city of McAllen has no limit on the number of dogs a person may keep as pets, so long as the animals are not abused, Rodriguez said.

The man - whose name will not be released until police have an arrest warrant - will likely be charged with arson after he recovers from his burns. He could face attempted murder, aggravated assault and animal cruelty charges, as well.

"People getting hurt is bad enough," Rodriguez said. "You add pets to the mix and it's a horrible situation."

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Jared Taylor covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4439.